The Good Gal

Lisa Brown

Lisa Brown’s killer resume (20 years in Washington politics, rising to the post of Senate Majority Leader, followed by a run as Chancellor of Washington State University Spokane) is matched only by her killer platform (heavy on health care, and, as you’d expect, education, but chock full of other good, good, stuff). Lisa Brown gets shit done, folks. Lisa Brown has been changing the world for decades now. Let’s send her to Washington. Er, no…the other one.

I’m not going to lie to y’all; CMR is in House GOP leadership for a reason; she’s a skilled politician and legislator, one of the most dangerous members of her caucus. This fall, we have our best chance yet at replacing her. Don’t let it go to waste.

The Good Gal

Angie Craig

Angie Craig has been working her ass off, and fighting her ass off, her whole dang life. She’s been a journalist and a high-powered health care executive. She’s created jobs and fought for (and won) her rights in the courts. Like, if you had a magic lamp and asked for the perfect Congressional candidate, the genie would just point at Angie Craig. She has the experience, the perspective, and the plan we need to get the country back on the right track.

Minnesota

MN-02

Ratings:

FiveThirtyEight: Likely Dem

Roll Call: Toss-Up

Cook: Lean Dem

Sabato: Toss-Up

The Truly Awful Guy

Jason Lewis

Jason Lewis is jackass talk radio host who ran for Congress so he could solve the truly pressing issues of our time, like Why Can’t We Call Women Sluts Anymore? He’s also buds with Rush Limbaugh, and super-duper racist, but I repeat myself. I’d use just three words to describe Jason: Hateful, stupid, and hateful. If you’re looking to flush Trumpism down the Toilet of History, this is your race to target. Of all the House match-ups this year, I don’t know that there’s a bigger decency gap between the candidates than in the Minnesota 2nd.

The Good Gal

Katie Hill

Katie Hill is the executive director and deputy CEO of PATH, a statewide organization battling homelessness. A prodigious fundraiser despite rejecting PAC and corporate money, Hill has an impressively detailed issues page, covering topics ranging from health care to campaign finance reform. And you have to like her experience successfully shepherding a pair of important ballot measures, Prop HHH and Measure H. A proven track record of accomplishment and leadership? In the U.S. Congress? MADNESS.

California

CA-25

Political rankings:

FiveThirtyEight: Lean Dem

Roll Call: Toss-Up

Cook: Toss-Up

Sabato: Toss-Up

The Bad Guy

Steve Knight

Steve Knight is a fairly decent fellow, at least when he’s not threatening protesters. Knight is one of those Republicans who tries to have it both ways on Drumpfy, loudly proclaiming himself “deeply disturbed” by the whole “bragging about sexual assault to Billy Bush” thing, but then voting for the serial assaulter anyway. Steve-O is shitty on the environment, taxes, guns, and health care. For good measure, he thinks Social Security is “a bad idea.”

The Good Gal

Donna Shalala

If anyone could be said to be overqualified for a gig in the House, it’s Donna Shalala. As Clinton’s HHS Secretary, she oversaw the creation and implementation of the Children’s Health Insurance Program. Yeah. CHIP. She went on to work for for W., who later awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom. She’s led the Clinton Foundation and the University of Miami, and…I literally don’t have space to cover her full resume. Yeah, I guess the whole “lifetime of leadership and success” thing is pretty convincing. If you like that sort of thing.

The Good Gal

Haley Stevens

Haley Stevens used to be in a little band called “Obama’s Auto Task Force,” (she was Chief of Staff, and played slide guitar) which you remember from such hits as “saving the American automotive industry.” Stevens is that rare politician who actually understands the mechanics of job creation in the 21st century, having spent her career in workforce development. Check out her platform; we can have Haley Stevens, good on health care and jobs and civil rights and…well, most everything, or we can have a rubber Trump stamp.

Michigan

MI-11

Ratings:

FiveThirtyEight: Lean Dem

Roll Call: Toss-Up

Cook: Toss-Up

Sabato: Lean Dem

The Bad Gal

Lena Epstein

Lena Epstein is one of the Trumpiest candidates running, (she co-chaired his Michigan campaign, gross) looking to replace relative moderate David Trott and shift the seat a few miles to the lunatic right, so, y’know…fuck that. She briefly tried running against Debbie Stabenow, but chickened out. Epstein is actually the perfect 2018 Republican; an executive in the family business, with no relevant experience or qualifications and a tissue-thin “platform,” she’s eager to crack down on all the filthy takers who haven’t done the hard work of Being Born Into Wealth.